NO-BRAINER
by ardavenport
"You are doing very well, Obi-Wan."
"Thank you, Master. Could you give me the vari-meter, please?"
"Of course."
Obi-Wan accepted the small rectangular device.
Qui-Gon Jinn peered down into the access panel that his Padawan inserted the tool into. And watched.
Very aware of his Master's looming presence over him, Obi-Wan disconnected a controller relay with a click.
He followed the blue wire attached to it to a sprawl of multi-colored wires emerging from a black ring on the back plate.
He cut the blue wire from the controller relay, crimped a tiny golden sheath to it and inserted it into the input of the vari-meter.
A light on it blinked rapidly yellow, then red. Low power, but enough.
Holding the vari-meter in one hand inside the access panel, he extended the other behind him.
"May I have the analyzing scanner, please?"
A big blocky instrument landed in his palm.
With both arms and his head inside the access panel, he plugged the wire into the scanner's input/output.
The vari-meter joined the clutter of other tools under his elbows in the compartment.
The power indicator glowed steady white and the other colored lights on the analyzer came on.
The scanner's screen flashed with rapidly cycling blocks of text as the device evaluated the input.
Obi-Wan blew air out in a sigh. This was further than he'd gotten with testing the relays.
Some blocks of text froze on the analyzer screen, but these were only basic functions.
Most of the text on the screen flickered, the blocks of text rapidly changing as the scanner continued its analysis.
While he waited, Obi-Wan flexed his neck and turned his head to see what his Master was doing.
Qui-Gon loomed less closely as he looked above at the oppressive rock ceiling of the chamber.
"Do you think we should try to free ourselves?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Hmm? No. It would be inadvisable to cut through this much rock with our lightsabers. Especially since we would be going upward.
"The droid can activate the emergency escape mechanism."
"Yes, Master."
The scanner screen kept busy, multitudes of glowing lines and text flashing on and off. Blue, green, purple, yellow.
Finally the text froze, bright orange on black. He had accessed the function he needed.
Relieved, Obi-Wan clicked down the options on the screen to the one he was looking for and activated it.
"Emergency procedures effective. Independent movtivator programs are now active."
Both Jedi turned to see a previously dead droid light up, indicators blinking on both body and 'head'.
The squat machine rolled forward on its treads, thin arms flexing, pincer ends clicking. The round head spun all the way around.
"What? What is this? What are all those rocks doing there? Where is the crew chief? I must report in."
"The crew chief is unavailable," Qui-Gon replied, relieved. "You will have to report to us."
"That is not authorized. I can only take directions from a designated crew chief."
Qui-Gon Jinn held up a hand and waved it before the machine's eye sensors.
"But I am authorized. And now you are authorized to activate the emergency escape tubes to the surface."
White eye sensors blinked rapidly for a moment.
"Of course, Sir," the droid answered in a monotone. "I shall activate them immediately."
The droid's head swivelled around and it's body followed to a section of wall where it inserted a probe into a terminal socket.
Astonished, Obi-Wan stared at his Master and then back at the droid. New lights came on. Machinery above them whooshed.
"Master, how could you mind influence a droid?"
"Why do you ask, my young apprentice?" Qui-Gon countered, eyebrows raised, expression amused.
"It's only a droid. It doesn't have a mind to influence. It doesn't have a brain. How could the Force work on a machine?"
Qui-Gon shrugged.
"I don't know. I don't know how the Force works on doors to open them. But it does."
Hatches in the ceiling above dilated open with a sudden loud hiss. Four cylinders dropped down, their white compartments open.
"Emergency escape capsules activated and ready, Sir," the droid announced.
"Shall we go?" Qui-Gon invited. Nodding, Obi-Wan stepped up to a capsule.
"Master?"
Qui-Gon paused, one leg inside his own capsule.
"If you could use the Force to influence this droid, then why not just use it on the computer, to activate the escape systems?"
"Hmmm," Qui-Gon said thoughtfully, nodding. "Excellent point. I shall do so next time. Or perhaps you shall."
Narrowing his eyes and grimacing at his Master's whimsy, Obi-Wan shook his head. The Jedi climbed into the escape capsules.
The openings of the capsule cylinders slid down and clicked shut. A moment later they shot upward.
Alone in the ruined underground installation, the droid's eye sensors blinked rapidly.
"Independent motivator activation not authorized," it said to the empty room as it locked its body into an at-rest stance. "Shutting down."
*** END ***
This story is a test of a twitterable format. It was first posted on tf.n: 26-Apr-2009
Disclaimer: All characters and situations belong to George and Lucasfilm; I'm just playing in their sandbox.